When U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the attack by sending 59 Tomahawk missiles on a Syria military air base last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin was reportedly furious. Considering that the Russians were given ample notice to evacuate before the military strike, it was most likely a drama where both Trump and Putin had agreed to play.

However, people started to question if Putin had finally met his match. Unlike lame duck Barack Obama, it appeared the impulsive and risk taker Donald Trump could give the Russian leader a run for his money. Kremlin could only cry, whine and bitch that the U.S. strikes violated international law. Of course, Trump couldn’t care less.

To save face, Russia together with Iran promised to hit back if the U.S. strikes Syria again. A year later today, Trump administration did exactly that – striking Syria for the second time. And what is the response from Vladimir Putin? He could only squirm. This is perhaps the first time that a military superpower like Russia allows its ally to be bombed at will by anyone.

Obviously, Putin has egg on his face. The Russian supremo is now seen as someone who cannot be depended on to protect his allies. Anatoly Antonov, Russian ambassador to the U.S., said – “Insulting the President of Russia is unacceptable and inadmissible.” Well, at least they acknowledged that Vladimir Putin has been humiliated.

And like a broken record, Moscow angrily warned of unspecified “consequences” after the strikes. The Embassy of Russia in America also said – “A pre-designed scenario is being implemented. Again, we are being threatened. We warned that such actions will not left without consequences. The worst apprehensions have come true.”

The only consolation is unlike the first round of strikes last year, the U.S.-led coalition this round was met with some minor resistance. Secretary of Defence James Mattis was quick to declare that the strikes were a “one time shot”. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford, on the other hand, said that – “this wave of air strikes is over”.

The quick assurance by the U.S. suggests that the Americans were afraid the Russian might retaliate. And unlike last year, there hasn’t been any official information published about how many Tomahawk cruise missiles were unleashed by the U.S. military. The Guardian reported that 110 cruise missileswere fired at targets inside Syria.

The Syrian air defence also reportedly responded and brought down the majority of the cruise missiles and air-to-land missiles, but some hit a research facility in Barzeh, which it said contained scientific labs and an educational centre, but that the US claims was a chemical weapons research facility. When the U.S. struck last year, the Syrian didn’t retaliate at all.

Trump administration was reportedly considering 8 targets in Syria, but so far only 3 targets were successfully hit by the incoming 110 missiles – a scientific research centre in Damascus and two weapons storage sites in Homs. The Syrian government will see this as a major victory. Russian state-run outlet Sputnik confirmed the majority of missiles launched against Syria were intercepted by air defences.

According to the Russian Defence Ministry, Syria repelled the U.S.-led coalition – include British and French forces – attack using air defence systems made in the Soviet Union – including the S-125, BUK, and S-200. Those ancient defence systems were made in the USSR over 30 years ago. The Pentagon could not confirm how many missiles hit their targets

Russian Defence Ministry revealed that two US warships carried out the attack from the Red Sea, as well as tactical aviation over the Mediterranean Sea and B-1B bombers from al-Tanf area. Russia’s military bases in Syria’s Latakia – the Hmeymim airbase and the Tartus naval facility – protected by S-400 and S-300 air defence systems, were not targeted by the strikes.

Earlier in the day, an armada of 12 warships – the largest US strike force since the 2003 Iraq War – was reportedly steaming toward the Syrian coast. The aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman set sail from Norfolk, Va., on Wednesday with five escort warships and they were expected to join four destroyers and two nuclear-powered submarines, believed to already be in or near the Mediterranean.

Prior to the strikes, Russian Navy Admiral Vladimir Masorin, former commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, said that American destroyers such as USS Donald Cook can be destroyed rather easily with Russian-made torpedo. He said – “It is unlikely that we will have to sink the Donald Cook. Yet, a torpedo is a very effective weapon that causes considerable damage to a vessel.”